Claire Danes Confirms ‘Homeland’ Will End With Season 8

It’s no longer just a conspiracy – Homeland is coming to an end. Star Claire Danes informally confirms the upcoming eighth season will be Carrie’s last crack at government intrigue, so why is Showtime hesitant to follow her lead?

Even as showrunners have beat this particular drum for a while now, Danes answered questions about the Season 8 rumor in conversation with Howard Stern, acknowledging “Yeah, that’s it … It's a workout, so I'll be ready for a reprieve from that.” The series is currently in its seventh season, which comes to a conclusion Sunday, April 29. Showtime renewed the counter-terrorism drama for seventh and eighth seasons before Season 6 even premiered.

That said, The Hollywood Reporter notes that Showtime is reluctant to confirm Homeland Season 8 will end the series – even if Danes, creator Alex Gansa and cast go with it. None of the current stars are contracted for additional seasons, and the network has apparently discussed keeping Homeland afloat with a new showrunner and new cast. The series has long-since left behind any resemblance to the original Gideon Raff Israeli series on which it was based, Prisoners of War, so a soft reboot isn’t far-fetched.

Showtime has at least another year before the current iteration of Homeland wraps, but should Season 8 end the series altogether?